New York's hostile policies drove residents away; Hochul's plea for their return is hypocritical and futile
Source: "I left New York for Florida — Gov. Hochul’s desperate plea won’t bring me home | Fox News." March 26, 2026. www.foxnews.com
The Gist
The author argues that New York's Governor Hochul is being hypocritical by now begging wealthy residents to return after she previously told them to leave. The author claims Hochul's own policies during COVID, especially keeping schools closed and masked, plus deteriorating city conditions, drove people like the author to Florida.
Conclusion
Governor Hochul's current plea for wealthy New Yorkers to return is hypocritical and will fail because her own policies and rhetoric drove them away in the first place
Premises
- Hochul explicitly told Republicans to leave New York in 2022, saying they should 'jump on a bus and head down to Florida'
- New York kept public schools closed longer than necessary during COVID while catering to teachers' unions, forcing families to leave
- The state maintained excessive COVID restrictions like outdoor masking for children well into 2022 despite low risk
- City conditions deteriorated with worsening migrant problems, homelessness, and street disorder that officials discouraged discussing
- Remote work eliminated the 'captive' nature of New York employment, giving people freedom to leave
- Hochul now admits the state lacks 'high-net-worth' residents needed to fund social programs and is begging wealthy people to return
- The exodus included not just the extremely wealthy but also middle-class families who lost faith in leadership
Assumptions
- Politicians' rhetoric significantly influences residents' decisions to relocate
- COVID school policies were the primary driver of family relocations rather than other factors
- Remote work fundamentally changed the economic relationship between workers and states
- Wealthy residents are essential for funding state social programs
- Once trust in government is lost, it cannot be easily restored